Help Protect Homeless Families from "Rent" Payments & Ejection from Shelter!

from Patrick Markee at Coalition for the Homeless:

Dear Colleagues,

As you know, on May 1st the City of New York began charging working homeless families “rent” for shelter – in some cases over half of their already low incomes – and threatening to eject homeless children and families from shelter if they fail to pay. Although the shelter “rent” rules, which are based on a State regulation dating back to 1995, were temporarily suspended due to “technical issues,” City and State officials have declared that they plan to enforce them again in the near future.

To make matters worse, the City of New York is also moving forward with plans to implement shelter ejection rules and a “code of conduct” that require that homeless families be ejected from shelter to the streets for at least 30 days for failing to comply with bureaucratic requirements – for example, for missing appointments, or because a homeless family’s welfare case has been closed, or for failing to pay “rent” for shelter.

Fortunately, new State legislation (Senate Bill 5605 and Assembly Bill 8353-A) has been introduced that will end this practice of charging “rent” for shelter and also protect families and children from being ejected from shelter except in cases where residents’ actions endanger the health and safety of others.

Please contact your State Senator and Assemblymember NOW and urge them to protect New York homeless families by supporting Senate Bill S5605 and Assembly Bill 8353-A.

Remember, there are only three weeks left in the State legislative session, so please contact your State Legislators right away. Attached are sample letters to your State Legislators, copies of the bills, and a briefing paper with background information about the legislation.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. And thank you for your help!

Patrick Markee
Coalition for the Homeless
Tel 212-776-2004

To Find Your State Legislators:
http://nymap.elections.state.ny.us/nysboe

Proposals before the Legislature:

Briefing Paper:

Please contact your State Senator and and Assemblymember and tell them to get behind the pending legislation:

Thousands of people may live in a community but it is not one of real fellowship until they know each other mutually and have sympathy for one another. A true community has faith and wisdom that illuminate it. It is a place where the people know and trust one another and where there is social harmony.
From Mahaparinirvana-Sutra